Two Sides of the Same Coin
by ellegreen
Summary: Coming home from the Founder's Day celebration, Elena Gilbert is shocked at what is waiting for her in her kitchen. As Elena fights the jelousy of the vampire Katherine, her family and friends must struggle through the fallout of recent events.
1. The Beginning

A sensible man will remember that the eyes may be confused in two ways -

by a change from light to darkness or from darkness to light;

and he will recognize that the same thing happens to the soul. ~Plato

* * *

She heard a noise coming from the kitchen; the sound of a pot crashing to the floor.

"Uncle John?" she asked. "Is that you?"

She rounded the corner and stopped abruptly, staring at the scene before her. Her uncle was slumped against the kitchen sink, eyes wide and unseeing. Blood covered the front of his button-down shirt, seeping from a jagged hole in the center of his chest. A woman stood over him, dark curls spilling down her back. In her upraised hand she held an enormous carving knife, sharp and menacing, dripping with blood.

As Elena watched, the woman turned around, and it was as though she was looking in a mirror. As she stared transfixed, her own face gazed back at her, but as she watched the face in the mirror broke into a wicked grin.

Elena gulped. "Katherine," she managed to choke out.

"Hello Elena."

* * *

Damon walked through the dark, lost in thought. The night seemed to close in around him, growing denser with each step he took. Moonlight trickled down through the trees above, casting shadows at odd angels and throwing everything out of proportion so that the houses on either side of the street loomed out of the darkness. He listened to the sounds of the night; listened to the cicadas chirping, the slight rustle of the trees in the wind, the distant sound of cars on the road up ahead.

On a calm night like tonight, he would usually be out hunting, enjoying himself as he stealthily crept up on some unsuspecting human. But after everything that had happened to him, he just didn't feel up to it. He was so confused; so hurt and angry, yet full to bursting with feeling of love and protectiveness. In all his nearly one hundred and fifty years he had not felt anything so bewildering as this.

Elena…His mind was filled with that one word, consuming his thoughts and filling his soul with rapture. He was in love; he could no longer deny it. But why he did not know. She looked like Katherine, but she was so far from Katherine that the two could not be compared. Elena had been the one to make him change, Elena had believed in him more than anyone else, even his brother. Maybe he _was_ good, as she had said only minutes ago.

But what if he was? Could he handle that? He had been this way for so long, angry and cruel, tormenting everyone around him. He _liked_ it, or that's what he told himself. Being like that gave him control, made him feel safe that nothing unexpected would ever happen to him again, or at least, nothing unexpected that he couldn't deal with. Would he still be the same dashing, humorous, brave Damon if he changed?

He looked down at his feet as they hit the pavement. Right, left, right, left; the monotony of it briefly distracting him from his thoughts and bringing him back to the world around him. He heard a faint crash somewhere, and then all was quiet again. But then he heard something he did not expect. Two names whispered on the wind, names he did not anticipate on a quiet night like tonight. With his keen vampire hearing he was able to pick up a few of the words uttered, and what he heard shocked him. _Katherine_, he heard. More alert, he turned in the direction the sound had come from, now hearing _Hello Elena_.

Fear clawed at his stomach. Katherine, it was Katherine, and she was with Elena. He took off, speeding back to Elena's house. But there was no certainty that he would get there in time, for Katherine was a vampire as well, and a much stronger and faster one than he. Arriving at the front yard, he jumped over the fence and flung the door open. He took a moment to look around and listen, but all was quiet. He rounded the corner into the kitchen and came across the body of Jonathan Gilbert, slumped over and covered in blood. A bloody knife lay by his feet.

"Damn you Katherine," Damon muttered under his breath.

With a feeling of dread slowly creeping over him, he began to search the house. First the living room, dining room, first floor. Then he proceeded upstairs to Elena's room. He opened the door slowly, as if delaying the truth would somehow make it unreal. He imagined Elena lying on her bed, writing in her diary like she did every night. But just as he had feared, she wasn't there.

He turned to go back downstairs, but as he did so, something caught his attention. It was the sound of labored breathing coming from Jeremy's room. He opened the door to find Jeremy curled up on his bed, his breathing ragged, hair clinging to his forehead with sweat. As Damon watched, Jeremy slowly opened his eyes to gaze hazily out at him.

"What the hell did you do?" Damon demanded with a mix of incredulity and anger.

Jeremy looked feebly in the direction of the bathroom. Damon rushed in to find the empty vial of Anna's blood on the counter, along with an empty bottle of pills. Damon picked up the bottle, reading the label.

"Shit," Damon said with feeling. He whipped out his phone and started dialing rapidly. He waited tensely for someone to pick up. One ring, two rings, three rings, and finally "911 what's your emergency?"

"I need an ambulance. Someone's had a drug overdose."

* * *

Stefan walked into the hospital waiting room, looking around. He had called Elena earlier and arranged to meet her here but she was nowhere to be seen. He spotted Matt across the room and went over to him. He seemed to be in bad shape. Clutching a Styrofoam cup of coffee, he slouched in his chair, staring at the floor. Stefan sat next to him, remaining quiet for a few moments.

"How are you doing?" he finally asked.

Matt looked up at him with worry clear in his eyes. He shrugged his shoulders. "Could be better," he answered, voice coming out scratchy.

Stefan nodded. "Do you know where Elena is? She was supposed to meet me here."

"Naw, man. Haven't seen her," replied Matt.

"I thought Tyler was here with you. Where did he go?"

"He went home to be with his mom. His dad, it turns out…" Matt trailed off, shaking his head. "There was an accident. His father didn't make it."

"I'm so sorry," said Stefan. "This must be so hard on-"

Just then Stefan's words were cut off as a group of people burst through the doors. In the midst of them was a stretcher that they were pushing hurriedly towards the Emergency Room. As Stefan eyed the crowd of people, he spotted Damon at the back, following the stretcher alongside Jenna. Confused and worried, Stefan all but used his vampire powers to speed over to Damon's side. From this vantage point he could see the stretcher clearly, and he now realized that it contained an unconscious Jeremy.

"What happened?" demanded Stefan.

"Our little drug dealer decided to OD after downing an entire vial of vampire blood," Damon whispered, pulling Stefan aside.

"What? I didn't think…" Stefan mumbled incredulously. "You told him about Anna. And you didn't take the blood away from him? Of course he was going to turn himself into a vampire! He was grief stricken and feeling alone and depressed! Damon you should have stopped him." Stefan was angry now. Damon had made another, terrible mistake, and again it was going to hurt Elena. God could he just think of other people for once in his life?

"It wasn't my choice. What was I supposed to do, decide his fate for him? I did it once before, and I wasn't going to force it on him again. I asked him if he wanted my help and he said no. He said no Stefan. So I let him do what he wanted, and this is what he chose."

"Do you have any idea what this'll do to Jenna, to Elena?"

At the mention of Elena Damon flinched slightly.

"What? Is Elena involved in this? Is she okay?" Stefan demanded, grabbing Damon by the collar of his shirt.

Damon looked down at the floor, refusing to meet Stefan's searching gaze.

"Damon, what happened?" Stefan said, this time softer.

Damon finally looked up, his blue eyes brimming with unshed tears. His mask of sarcasm was completely shattered, showing a side of Damon that Stefan hadn't seen in over a hundred years.

"She took her," Damon choked out. "Katherine took her. She's back."

* * *

**A/N:** Review and tell me what you think. What will Katherine do next?


	2. Interchangeable

Elena came to with a throbbing headache pounding at her temples. She scrunched up her already closed eyes, grimacing in pain. Just then she heard a noise coming from above her, a kind of clacking and the sound of a door opening. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around. From what she could tell lying sideways on the floor, she was in a small concrete room with cracked and crumbling walls. There were no entrances or exits except for a large rusty metal door, and from this door trickled the only light in the almost cave-like room she was trapped in.

Just then something blocked all light from the room and the door was swung open on squeaking hinges. A human form emerged, cast in shadow, and walked slowly toward her on heeled black boots. The sound of the heels was muffled on the dirt floor, a sharp contrast to the click-clack they made on the floor in the room above. Based on the fact that Katherine's face was the last she could remember seeing, she guessed that this was she.

"Here, drink this," she said. She stooped down and placed a water bottle by Elena's head, then stepped back and put her hand on her hips, surveying the girl lying before her. "You look terrible," she said matter-of-factly.

Elena chose to leave that alone, thinking it best not to antagonize her. She sat up slowly, placing her bound hands on the floor to steady her. She reached for the water bottle and uncapped it, taking a long swig. Only then did she notice the slight coppery taste in her mouth, and looked up questioningly at Katherine.

"Did you feed me blood?" she demanded.

"Only a little. I accidentally gave you a concussion when I knocked you out. Oops," said Katherine sarcastically.

A sudden anger at Katherine's cruelty flared up in her, and she took a deep breath to clear her head. Instead of retorting back at her, she asked "How long have I been out?"

Katherine sat down in front of Elena so that they were now eye level. She tucked her legs underneath her, and looked at Elena innocently. "Just a few hours," she replied. "It's still dark out."

Elena nodded looking down at the floor. There were so many questions buzzing in her mind. Why was Katherine back? Why had she kidnapped her? Had anyone started to look for her? But she decided to ask the simplest question she could think of, still unsure of how Katherine would react to certain subjects, especially when asked by a bound human completely at her mercy.

"Where am I?" she asked, looking Katherine in the eyes.

"You're in an abandoned building outside town. Don't worry Elena, no one will find you. You are perfectly safe." She smiled sweetly at Elena.

"Why are you doing this?" demanded Elena. "What do you have to gain? If you think killing me will get you Stefan and Damon back, than you're wrong. They don't love you anymore. In fact, they hate you. You abandoned them, and they only found that out after one hundred and fifty years of mourning your loss. How could you think that they would take you back now?"

Katherine shook her head slowly, a small smile on her lips. "Elena, Elena," she chided. "I came back to this town to ensure that the vampires from the tomb were killed. I couldn't have them massacring an entire town in plain sight. Word would have gotten out that vampires are real, and eventually someone would have done something about it. Maybe proven to the world that vampires are not just monsters from ancient myths, or maybe gone to the government. Either way, things would not bode well for us undead folks. I told Isobel this, and she agreed. That is why she told John to come back and look for the Gilbert invention. When he failed to deliver, she had to come and do it herself."

Now Katherine looked down. "But when I heard that Isobel and John were planning to kill my Salvatore brothers, well, I just couldn't resist the temptation to return. I may have left them, but something once mine is mine forever, and the Salvatores are no exception. When I found out that Isobel had betrayed me and was plotting to kill them…" Katharine smiled harshly. "Let's just say that it did not go well for her."

"You killed her?" asked Elena, horrified.

"No, I did not kill her. I just temporarily incapacitated her. I may have use of her yet, and it would be a pity to waste a cunning mind like hers." Katherine looked at Elena and smiled, amused at how the thought of a dead birthmother distressed Elena.

"Anyway, when I discovered her betrayal, I thought it wise to check that she had not betrayed me in other ways as well. I've been staying here for the past couple days, making sure that Isobel did as she said and arranged to have the tomb vampires killed. After that, all I had to do was a little nudging to get the vampires to attack on Founders Day, tip off Uncle John, and make sure Stefan and Damon made it through the night alive. That last bit I hadn't entirely planned out, but thanks to you and your human and…not so human friends, I didn't have to worry about that. You did everything for me. You are smarter than I thought."

"But the tomb vampires hated you. You were the reason they got locked in the tomb. How did you convince them not to kill you?

"One I convinced them that I hated the founding families as much as they did for exposing what I am, they agreed to let me help them. I can be very…persuasive," she said, smiling wickedly. Elena did not even want to know what she meant by that.

"Well, you got what you wanted. So why did you kidnap me?"

"Call it jealousy, call it genetic curiosity. You are the last living member of my line, Elena Gilbert. I could not resist the temptation to see you, and I knew that the Salvatore brothers would not let me come near. So I took matters into my own hands." Katherine looked at her with curiosity, slowly tracing every feature of Elena's face with her eyes. "It is amazing isn't it; the incredible likeness you have to me. We are identical in every way. Well, except one." Katherine smiled; it looked to Elena, a little sadly.

Absentmindedly her hand went up to her neck to finger her vervaine locket. It brought comfort to her, knowing that whatever Katherine may take from her, she could never take her mind or the love of the two men who had given her the locket. She could never take away Stefan's love for her, nor Damon's odd but loyal friendship. Katherine was right; there was one very big difference between them. Elena was loved and cherished for her kindness. Katherine was scorned and hated, because those she had abandoned had finally abandoned her.

"Ah, I see you have one too." Katherine's fingers went to her neck as well. Elena followed them to see a gaudy old necklace; similar to the one Isobel had worn. Katherine seemed to hold the necklace as reverently as Elena did hers.

"That reminds me," she said. In a flash, Katherine's fingers went to the clasp at the back of her neck. The necklace fell swiftly and Katherine caught it, stashing it away safely in her bra. "Well, as long as I don't let one of the Salvatore brothers get in there, I should be fine."

She raised her eyebrows playfully at Elena, and then began to rise. Brushing the dirt off her designer jeans, she took one last glance at Elena, then turned around and began to walk back to the door.

"Wait!" said Elena desperately. "Where are you going?"

"Where am _I_ going?" Katherine stopped, one hand on the door. "Oh, nowhere. The question is, where are _you_ going?" With that she turned and shut the door, laughing softly to herself as if at some inside joke.

Elena heard her say "Where is Elena Gilbert going next?" as she ascended the stairs to the world above. A door slammed behind her, and Elena was left in complete darkness. _What am I going to do? _Elena thought. _Where is she taking me?_ Elena leaned her head against her knees, taking deep breaths and trying to keep a level head. She had to find a way out before Katherine decided to do whatever she had planned next. She lifted her head up and looked around at the darkness. Then she got up slowly, and began to run her hands along the walls, looking for any way to save herself.

* * *

"We should go after her."

"But how are we supposed to do that when we have absolutely no idea where she is?" said Damon.

Stefan paced in front of the fire. After being told the news, he had insisted on returning to their house to talk things over where they wouldn't be overheard. He couldn't believe that Katherine was back. Why now? After nearly one hundred and fifty years she decided to come waltzing into their little town and kidnap his girlfriend. He thought she didn't care, but how could she not care and still come back?

Stefan sat down heavily on the couch, shaking his head in confusion. He reached over and plucked the bottle of liquor from Damon's hands, took a long swig, then put his head in his free hand. Damon reached behind him from his seat next to Stefan to grab another bottle, then mirrored his brother's posture.

"What are we going to do?" mumbled Stefan.

"I tell you what we're going to do," said Damon, gesticulating wildly with the bottle in his hands. "We are going to sit here, and get drunk, and wait for Katherine to show up. I mean, the whole reason why she took Elena was probably to clear the way so she could come see us. She's just jealous. She wants Elena out of the picture so she can have her fun." Damon smiled and lifted the bottle to his lips.

Stefan looked at him and just this once was able to see through the mask of playfulness and drink that Damon wore so well. Stefan saw it in the hard line of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders. Damon turned and smiled at him, and Stefan saw it in his eyes too. His brother's striking blue eyes were dulled with pain, festering and burning, eating Damon up from the inside out. The emotions he could normally hide so well were now just barely being contained.

"But you know what brother?" Damon leaned in and whispered. "Even if we do get Elena back, it won't be just you getting her back. It'll be us getting our human girlfriend back, well, assuming she's still human."

"Stop it Damon. I already told you, stay away from Elena," said Stefan halfheartedly, knowing that Damon was just trying to annoy him.

Damon laughed, shaking his head. "But you don't get it, do you," he said to Stefan. "She loves me too, and there is nothing you can do about it. She is much more like Katherine than we thought."

"She is nothing like Katherine. And she doesn't love you like that. You're friends, that's all," said Stefan, but he could hear the wariness in his own voice, as if he didn't entirely believe himself.

"Friends?" said Damon mockingly. "Do friends have a hot make out session on the porch?"

Stefan's face froze. Damon had to be lying. After all, he wasn't exactly the most reliable person. But still, he saw how Damon looked at Elena, and how Elena looked at Damon sometimes when she thought he wasn't watching.

"You're lying," Stefan eventually said, hoping that Damon was and would admit to it.

Damon raised one eyebrow mockingly. "Lying, about this? Stefan really. Why would I lie about something like this? You can ask Elena, if you ever see her again." Damon got up and set the bottle down on the bar, than looked over at Stefan.

But despite how much Stefan tried to convince himself, he didn't quite believe that Damon was trying to deceive him. He knew how his brother could be. He could seduce just about anyone, and he wouldn't put it past him to seduce Elena. Damon had already taken Stefan's lover from him once, and he was not going to let Damon do it again.

Stefan walked over to Damon and looked him straight in the eyes. "Stay away from her Damon. Whatever may have happened, she doesn't love you," Stefan said, voice shaking.

"But you don't know that," said Damon, not a hint of humor evident in his face.

"Yes I do. She loves _me_, not you Damon, and she never will," Stefan said, voice rising.

"She does love me; you just don't want to believe that. But you know, deep down. History is repeating itself after all." Damon stepped closer to Stefan, invading his personal space. "And when the time comes for her to choose, then we'll see which one of us she loves more, brother," he said icily.

With that Damon brushed past Stefan, knocking him to the side with his shoulder. Stefan turned around and called after him "I think you should leave."

"Already on it," replied Damon, and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Hearing someone coming, she hid in the bushes by the door, tucking herself out of sight. Peering through the leaves she saw Damon emerge from the house, angry and flustered. He promptly stormed off in some random direction, too caught up in his own thoughts to care where he was going.

Once he was safely gone, Katherine emerged from the bushes. She had been lurking in front of the Salvatore house for a while now, listening to the argument between the two brothers.

They had caught on quicker than she thought. They already knew that Elena was gone and that it was she who had taken her. She had not predicted that, but then again, how could she not expect them to be more attentive after nearly one hundred and fifty years? She last saw them when they were young humans, and now they were more experienced vampires. She chided herself softly. She had to be more careful.

Well, since Elena had been kidnapped, she had to look like it. She ran her hands through her hair, messing it up. Then she reached down and grabbed a handful of dirt, smearing it across her clothes and face. _There, that should do_, she thought. Fixing her face with an appropriately distressed expression, she banged loudly on the door.

"Stefan!" she wailed. "Stefan!" She punctuated her calls with the occasional sob, just to make her act more believable.

Exactly as she had expected, the door was swung open with blinding speed, and there before her stood Stefan Salvatore. It had been quite a while since she had seen him, or at least, seen him this close up. He looked trashed, probably the product of crying and too much liquor. But she didn't have much time to survey him, for as soon as he saw her he swept her into a close embrace.

"Elena," he breathed into her hair with relief. "Thank God."

Katherine smiled over his shoulder, red eyes twinkling.

"Oh Stefan," she said.

* * *

**A/N:** Tell me what you think of the direction the plot is going in. Will Stefan believe Katherine's disguise? Will Elena escape Katherine's clutches? Please review. Reviews make me oh so happy! :)


	3. A Brotherly Bond

**A/N:** I know this chapter is a bit short, but I wanted to post something sooner rather than later because it has been quite a while.

* * *

Unable to sleep, Bonnie lay on her bed thinking over the events of the past couple days. She was having trouble wrapping her head around what she had done. Betraying Elena was harder than she had thought it would be. In the end, she hadn't been able to handle hurting Elena that much. She had always planned on saving Stefan, and when he made it out alive she had been beyond relieved. But she had also saved Damon's life. When she could have let him burn to ashes with the others, she had spared him. She must really love Elena, because if it wasn't for Elena's relationship with Damon, she would have let Damon burn all the way to Hell.

As she was musing over her decision, her cell phone rang. Reaching over to her nightstand, she picked it up.

"Hello?" she said.

"Bonnie, great," said Matt's voice. "I was worried you wouldn't pick up. Hey, do you know where Elena is?"

"No, I don't. But I'm sure she's on her way to see Caroline."

"That's not it. Her brother's in the hospital. He OD'd. She should be here with him, but she hasn't showed up yet. I've tried her cell and her house, but she's not picking up. Can you go see if she's okay?"

"Yeah, of course. Is Jeremy alright?" she asked worriedly, pulling on her clothes. "He's still unconscious, but the docs say he's going to be okay. Well, physically at least. They think he tried to commit suicide." Matt sounded exceptionally distressed, knowing that this news would hurt Elena. He knew how she worried about her brother, and rightfully so.

Bonnie hurried down the stairs and out the front door, going around the side of her house and getting into her car. She started the ignition and began to back out of the driveway. "I'm sure Elena's on her way. I'm already headed to her house, just in case. I'll call you when I get there."

Bonnie hung up and set the phone down in the seat next to her. She brushed her hair out of her face with one hand, sighing as she did so. Tonight was just one disaster after another, and Bonnie was growing tired of it. Everything had been so quiet before the vampires had returned to Mystic Falls, and now that they were back, nothing in her life was left unchanged. She could no longer be a normal, fun-loving high school student with not a care in the world. Now her whole life revolved around the supernatural. Sometimes she wished she could just give it all back; vampires, witch powers, everything. But she couldn't, no matter how much she wished. This world was part of her as much as she was part of it. It was in her blood, and she had to learn to embrace it.

She thought as she drove, reminiscing about the past year of her life, and how everything had changed. Lost in thought, she didn't notice the darkness passing by her window, nor how the air hung heavy with a sinister silence. Of these things she was entirely unaware, so when she reached Elena's house and got out of her car, she thought everything was going according to plan. She was just going to get Elena and take her to the hospital to see her brother. Maybe hug her as she cried, telling her everything was going to be okay, that life wasn't as messed up as it seemed. Hug her and whisper comforting lies to ease the pain of her best friend.

She ascended the porch steps and raised her hand to knock on the front door, when she noticed that it had been left slightly ajar. Maybe Elena had just forgotten to shut it. After all, Elena had been through a lot tonight. She probably wasn't noticing little details like this at the moment. Still, Bonnie thought this a bit out of character for her.

"Elena?" she called as she pushed the door open slowly. She looked upstairs at Elena's bedroom door, and seeing no one in sight, wandered down the hall towards the light in the kitchen.

She took a step around the corner and froze. There, slumped against the sink, was the body of John Gilbert. His chest had a jagged hole in the center and his shirt was stained with blood. A carving knife lay by his feet in a pool of blood.

Shocked, Bonnie could only think of one thing. _Elena_, she thought. _Elena, where are you?_ Elena was nowhere to be found, and her uncle's body was lying in her kitchen. What if that same person who had killed her uncle had hurt Elena? Or worse, what if Elena was dead too?

She rushed over to the body, looking around, hoping to find something that would tell her where Elena was. She crouched down and touched the knife's handle, then immediately recoiled. What she had seen startled her so much that she nearly fell over onto the bloody floor. She'd had a vision, and in her vision she had seen Elena's face, only her eyes were red and there were black veins surrounding them. She had looked like a vampire. But then Bonnie heard something in the vision, a name. _Katherine_, someone had said.

So the face in her vision hadn't belonged to Elena, it had belonged to Katherine. So Katherine was back, and if she had returned, she had to have something to do with Elena's disappearance.

Bonnie had been able to identify Katherine through an object, so she had to be able to find out where Elena was. She rose up from the floor and looked around for something, anything, that meant enough to Elena to be able to find her with. Unable to see anything sentimental enough to have Elena's mark on it, Bonnie climbed the stairs to Elena's room. There she found the dress Elena had worn the day before lying on her bed. Since that had probably been one of the last things Elena had touched, Bonnie decided it would be the best thing to track Elena with.

She picked up the dress, took a deep breath, and concentrated. The vision hit her so hard she stumbled backwards, losing her balance, and fell into Elena's dresser.

The vision had shown her where Elena was. But even though she was alive, she was in terrible danger, and Bonnie was the only one who knew where she had been taken.

* * *

Jeremy lay there in the hospital bed, breathing deeply. He listened to the rhythmic sound of the heart monitor while he didn't so much as think but _feel_. Feel his body aching and tired after going through such an ordeal; feel his mind stay dormant, not wanting to be reminded of the events that had led him here; and most of all, feel his heart. Even though the machine beside him proclaimed to all the world that his heart was functioning perfectly, Jeremy knew that in reality it was withered and broken. His heart shouldn't have been beating like this with all the pain he was feeling. The loss of someone he loved should have killed him, as he had meant it to.

Sensing movement by the door, Jeremy looked over to find Damon leaning against the door frame. He wore a somber frown that was almost, if Jeremy was guessing correctly, sympathetic. Considering that Damon had only previously told him that he didn't care if Jeremy turned himself into a vampire or not, the fact that he had now appeared in Jeremy's hospital room after Jeremy as attempted to do just that was a bit odd.

"Why are you here?" questioned Jeremy, more than a bit confused.

"Just…seeing if you're okay," said Damon, pushing away from the door and walking over to stand beside Jeremy. "How long have you been awake?"

"Uh, not long. What time is it?"  
"Five thirty. How are you-"

"-fine, yeah. I'm okay," Jeremy cut him off quickly, wanting to get straight to the point. "Now, why are you here, really? I mean, you've been a total douche; wiping my memory; threatening me. I know you've apologized and everything, but that doesn't fix it. You haven't done anything to fix it; in fact you stopped me from turning myself into a vampire. Even after you told me it was _my_ _choice_. And now you come in here to see how I'm doing? I thought you didn't care."

Damon pulled up a chair next to Jeremy's hospital bed, leaning his head in his hands and sighing. "Before…before nothing mattered. I didn't care, about you, about this town, about me, about anything really. But then…," Damon cut off, shaking his head. "God, I don't know man. All of a sudden-"

"-you fell in love?" said Jeremy knowingly. "And after that everything changed. You started changing your whole life to be with her. Changing everything you ever believed in, everything you ever were, just to be holding her hand, just to look in her eyes. You're love for her made you remember your love for everyone else, and you realized that you couldn't keep hurting them anymore." Jeremy smiled wistfully, remembering falling in love for the first time. Well, at least falling in love with someone he would die for.

He looked over at the pained man next to him, and for once Damon didn't look his nearly one hundred and seventy five years. He looked young, younger than Jeremy, and upset. In this one area especially one would have thought that Damon knew much more about women than Jeremy did. Heavens knows, Damon had been a famous womanizer for over a hundred years, and Jeremy was only a confused teenager still having problems with acne and awkwardness. Yet here they were, roles reversed, Jeremy giving a very distraught Damon advice on true love.

"Have you never been in love before?" Jeremy asked. "Wasn't there some girl, uh, Katherine was her name? She was around a long time ago wasn't she?"

Damon sighed, ruffling his hair with one hand.

"Yeah but, I wasn't really in love with her. I mean, I thought I was, for a long time. But then I fell in love, actually fell in love, and I realized that everything we had had together was her manipulating me. I was captivated by her beauty and she used it to seduce me. She made me think that I needed her, and I was totally dependent on her love. It was only later, decades later, that I realized that she never cared about me. I was nothing to her, and I thought she was everything. But this time is different. I truly love this woman, and there's no deception involved. And I think that although she doesn't know it, she might love me too."

"So who is this mystery girl?" asked Jeremy with a knowing smile.

"Uh," said Damon, trying to figure out how to put it. "Well, she's, uh…"

"Elena," both said at the same time.

Damon smiled sheepishly, waiting for Jeremy's temper to flare. But Jeremy only shook his head sadly.

"I knew it," said Jeremy simply. "It was just too obvious."

"Really?" said Damon. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Yeah," said Jeremy in that I-hate-to-break-it-to-you-but voice. "But maybe only to me, you know? I mean, you wiped my memory because Elena asked you to. And you tried to get me to stop 'hurting' my sister," and here Jeremy made little air quotes. "Even though you threatened me, I know you did it because you love her. I mean, do you know the way you look at her?" teased Jeremy.

"Oh man," laughed Damon softly. "No wonder Stefan had a talk with me."

"A talk?" asked Jeremy. "Do you mean the 'Stay a way from my girlfriend or else' talk? Honestly? I mean that is so over possessive douche bag boyfriend. Man, even vampires are susceptible to clichés."

"Yeah, he can be a total ass sometimes. And no one sees it but me. Everyone thinks he's the perfect brother, and I'm the one who has to deal with all his 'Oh Damon not again, you're so evil. You always hurt other people, especially yourself' bullshit. I mean, you'd think he'd lay off telling me how to live. I mean, I know how to take care of myself."

"I know," said Jeremy enthusiastically. "Elena is even worse."

Damon smiled and shared similar tales as Jeremy told stories of how Elena tried to be his mother. Despite how cruel Damon could be sometimes, Jeremy thought that they might have more in common than he had thought.

* * *

**A/N:** I know not much happened in this chapter, but I have planned some Damon and Elena action for the next chapter. I am already working on it, and hopefully will post it soon.


	4. Possibilities

Elena lay there, crumpled up on the floor in a useless heap. She had long ago given up on finding an escape route, and now she just sat on the floor, curled up in defeat. She knew she couldn't get out of the cellar that was her prison, and now all that was left to do was wait for Katherine to come back and enact her wicked plan.

Just as expected, the light behind the door was switched on. Footsteps resounded in the small passageway, and then a face appeared in the grate on the door, blocking the light. Elena drew a sharp breath, trying to prepare herself for the uncertain future that was about to walk through the door. For Katherine did not bring the promise of fresh air and sunshine. Katherine had come to torment her, or worse.

"Elena?" said the person behind the door.

Elena raised her tear-stained face at the sound. That wasn't Katherine's voice, was it? Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but it sounded oddly like…

"Bonnie?" questioned Elena, struggling to rise to her feet. Finally succeeding, she walked slowly to the door, almost unsure if she wanted to know who was behind that door. Not wanting to know, because in all likelihood it really _was_ Katherine, and she had just been imagining Bonnie there. But as she neared the small barred opening, she saw a familiar face. Not so familiar as to be identical to hers, but that of a dear friend.

"Bonnie! Thank god," exclaimed Elena. "How did you find me?"  
"I'm a witch, remember," said Bonnie somewhat teasingly.

_How could she be lighthearted at a time like this?_ thought Elena.

"Are you okay?" asked Bonnie.  
"Bonnie, I was kidnapped by a murderous vampire and locked in this cellar. Do I look okay to you?" demanded Elena.

"Right, sorry. Stupid question to ask," said Bonnie.

"So how are you going to get me out of here? The door has to be locked, and it looks really heavy."

"Well, I've been reading Grams' spell book, and I think I know how. Now step back, because there could be some metal shards flying in you direction."

Elena stepped away from the door, wondering if Bonnie was going to blast the door to pieces. But by the look of things, she didn't. Elena heard the sound of metal twisting and wrenching, and then the middle of the door started to peel back, leaving a gaping hole.

"Well come on, I'll help you through," said Bonnie when Elena just stood there, staring.

Approaching the door, Elena bent down and stepped gingerly through the hole, just in case it might burn or injure her. On the other side, Bonnie grabbed her arms and pulled her into a big hug. Elena grasped her tightly, tears of relief leaking from her closed eyes.

"Come on," Bonnie finally said, pulling away. "Let's get you out of here."

"So how did you find me?" asked Elena, following Bonnie up the stairs.

"Well, Matt called me saying that you weren't at the hospital. You see…Elena, I'm going to tell you something that no one ever wants t hear, so brace yourself."

"Yeah?" Elena gulped, trying to stay calm. Was someone else dead? Surely Katherine hadn't been so quick to kill another person. Even _she_ had self control.

"Elena, your brother tried to commit suicide. He's in the hospital. He's still unconscious and he's doing fine, but something must have happened to send him over the edge."

"Oh my god," said Elena, extremely worried but glad that he hadn't succeeded on his fanatical mission. "How did he try to do it?"  
"Pills. He overdosed on pain meds."

Bonnie led them out of the small house, and Elena followed behind, thinking over what Bonnie had just told her. Jeremy had always been dangerously close to the edge with his depression. That's why he used to get high all the time. Elena had thought he stopped, but maybe he hadn't. Maybe he had just concealed a dangerous addiction from her and had let it get worse and worse. Who knew what kinds of drug cocktails he had been taking to get high, but he could have easily overdosed if he wanted to. But there was one thing she was sure about. Jeremy would not have overdosed by accident; he was normally too careful for that. He had to have overdosed on purpose, meaning he must have struggled with depression more than she had thought.

This was all her fault. She could have stopped him, or at least gotten him some help when it counted. But she was too wrapped up in her own life to see that he was in trouble.

"Elena, Elena," said Bonnie, breaking Elena out of her reverie.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Do you want me to take you to him?"

"No," she said wearily. "You said he was still unconscious, right? Take me home so I can wash up, then I'll go see him."

"Okay," said Bonnie.

She led Elena to her car and Elena slid into the passenger side, slumping down in the seat and putting her hands over her eyes.

"So you were saying? About how you find me, I mean," she said as Bonnie got in beside her.

"Right. So Matt called me saying your brother was in the hospital and you weren't there with him. He had called you a number of times and was wondering where you were. He was getting kind of worried and he called me wondering if I knew where you were. Of course didn't know where you were, but I was worried, so I went over to your house to find you. You weren't there, but Uncle John's body was. I touched the knife next to it and I had a vision of Katherine killing John. I put two and two together and figured that Katherine was probably the reason why you were gone, so I figured that I had to find you and rescue you. I touched your dress from yesterday and had a vision of Katherine taking you here. So, here we are."

They both sat there, Elena feeling tired and overwhelmed and Bonnie waiting for her to say something.

"So," said Bonnie after what seemed like forever. "We should get you home."

"Yeah," breathed Elena.

Bonnie started the car and headed off in the direction of Elena's house. Both friends sat in silence the entire way, thinking over how complicated their lives had gotten lately. When they finally arrived, both remained in their seats, still lost in their thoughts. Finally, Bonnie broke the silence.

"Would you like me to come in with you?" she asked.

"Yeah, thanks," said Elena. She looked sideways at Bonnie through a curtain of her hair and smiled weakly, a smile that Bonnie returned immediately.

Bonnie came around the side of the car and helped Elena out, letting Elena lean on her as they walked together to the front porch. Waiting as Elena unlocked the front door, she looked around, sensing something. There was someone there.

"Elena, don't-" she said, but just as she put out her hands to stop Elena from opening the door, Elena swung it open and froze.

There standing on the stairs looking down at them with a weird mixture of shock and relief plastered on his face, was Damon Salvatore.

* * *

After speaking with Jeremy, Damon wandered out of the hospital feeling like some of the weight had fallen from his shoulders. Usually he felt so alone, but talking with a person that had just tried to commit suicide made him see that life could be worse. At least the woman he loved most in this world hadn't been reduced to a pile of ashes.

But reminding himself of Elena made all the worry flood back again. Where was she? It was almost first light and she was still missing. At least he thought she was. Maybe he should check, just to make sure, right?

Hastening to Elena's house, he found it to be much as it was when the paramedics had left with Jeremy. All the lights were on, the door was locked, and there wasn't a person in sight. Obviously Elena had not come home, but that didn't stop Damon from climbing in an open upstairs window and entering Elena's vacant room.

He knew it was wrong, sneaking into the room of a girl who had possibly been kidnapped by a vengeful vampire and looking through her stuff, but when else was he going to do it? Besides, it brought him comfort. Being there made him feel closer to her, because he was sure that she wouldn't really mind her _boyfriend_ going through her personal effects. And when Elena wasn't there spouting off about Stefan, Damon could pretend his brother didn't even exist, and that it was just him and Elena together at last.

Damon sifted through the various items on Elena's dresser with great interest. For such a precise person, Elena's room was quite messy. But then again, she had quite a lot to worry about lately other than cleaning her room. It was quite evident that it had been neglected as of late, because the tidy room that Damon had glimpsed briefly when discussing Stefan's growing bloodlust with her only a few weeks ago had completely disappeared under piles of dirty clothes, crumpled papers, and a multitude of random objects.

The only thing that hadn't changed was the mirror above the dresser. It still had pictures slipped under the edge of the frame, all perfectly aligned in their proper place. They were pictures of Elena's childhood; her friends; her family. These photographs of her life stood out amongst all the clutter; clearly her prized possessions.

Sighing slowly, Damon sat on Elena's bed next to the dress she had worn on Founder's Day. He touched the full skirt gently, remembering how it had made her look so like Katherine. It wasn't something he liked to be reminded of, how alike they were, because thinking about that reminded him how once he had loved Katherine just as he now loved Elena.

Just then he heard a noise, almost like a key turning in a lock. He rushed to the top of the stairs, hoping, just hoping that _maybe_ it was her. After all, how many people had keys to this house? He stared intently down at the door as it opened slowly, and sure enough, Elena's confused face was waiting on the other side, looking up at him. Bonnie was standing next to her, looking at him with an expression of utter loathing.

Relief flooded his face as he walked slowly down the stairs towards Elena and came to a standstill right before her. She looked wrecked, with her hair in disarray and dirt smeared all over her clothes and skin. She looked so fragile, standing there before him. Something about her seemed broken and sad.

"Uh," said Bonnie slowly. "I think I'll go now. You two should be fine together."

"Yeah. Thanks again Bonnie." Elena flashed her an apologetic expression as Bonnie turned to leave, and shut the door behind her. Then she turned back to Damon, and knowing they were completely alone and no one would see her, she broke down and fell into his arms heaving ragged sobs.

"Oh Damon," she choked out, burying her head in his neck.

"Shh, you're safe now," he murmured softly as he wrapped his arms around her. Seeing that she was having trouble staying upright, he helped her sit on the floor and held her as she cried.

Sitting against the door, holding her in his lap, he listened to her tell him all that had happened. She told him how Katherine had kidnapped her and held her captive in a dark cellar. How Bonnie had come to rescue her, and how she was devastated at her brother's suicide attempt. And Damon just listened and rocked her, back and forth, back and forth. After a while Elena finished her story, and her tears stopped flowing so steadily. She grew very quiet and nestled her head under Damon's chin. She was so still that a mere human might have thought she was asleep, but with his vampiric abilities Damon could tell she wasn't.

"Come on, let's get you upstairs before you fall asleep," he said quietly, gently lifting her in his arms and carrying her upstairs. He set her down on the bed, removed her shoes, and tucked her in underneath the soft comforter.

As he turned to leave she reached her hand out to him and said in a raspy voice full of exhaustion "No, stay. I don't want to be alone."

He said nothing, only sat on the other side of the bed, and took off his jacket and shoes. Then he lay down next to her; on top of the comforter so as not to invade her personal space. She didn't turn to face him, but rather reached back and put his arm around her waist, pulling him closer.

She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep, but Damon lay awake for some time, thinking over what she had told him. He was still awake when the sun broke the horizon and began to reach its long fingers into the sky, lighting up the world. Then he gave up his contemplation of Katherine and Elena and resigned himself to the weariness pounding at his temples. After all, it was a new day, and he would need lots of rest for what was to come.


	5. Couples

**A/N:** Sorry for this chapter being shorter than the others. Chapter 5 and chapter 6 were originally going to be one chapter, but they got too long, so I split them up. The way the plot is, I had to make this chapter shorter.

Also, a warning to all that are very squeemish when it comes to violence. There is a a bit of somewhat-graphic violence in this chapter. If you don't do well with violence then you can skip down to the end of the chapter to get a quick plot summary of the violent part of the story. Otherwise please read the entire chapter because the violent part comes as an intresting surprise.

* * *

Snuggling up next to Stefan on the couch, Katherine told him all about how Elena had been kidnapped. Well, not _all_ about it. She gave him a falsified version that better fit with her current circumstances. According to her, Elena had come home to find Katherine standing over the body of her uncle, John. Then she had gotten knocked out and had woken up to find Katherine looking down at her.

This was where her story diverged from reality. For in Katherine's version, Elena had woken up in the empty tomb that had previously housed the town's vampires for nearly one hundred and fifty years. _Better he think this_, she thought, _than know where I'm keeping Elena and go there to try to find me_. So for her own benefit, she kept Elena's location hidden, at least for now.

Continuing from there, she told him how Katherine had gone hunting, and when Katherine was gone she had slipped out and escaped. To keep Stefan from inquiring further into how _exactly_ she had escaped, she dissolved into fresh tears, effectively halting his questions. Katherine smirked inwardly, amused at how easily Stefan could be diverted.

After enough time to make sure Stefan had forgotten the question at hand, Katherine stopped her desperate sobbing and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Stefan,' she whined. "I'm tired."

"Come on," he said. "Let's get you upstairs before you fall asleep."

As he lifted her in his arms, Katherine made sure to be clingy and distressed, seeming every bit like the young human the real Elena was. Stefan carried her up the stairs and set her on the bed, lying down next to her and tucking them both in. Snuggling up next to her, he soon fell asleep, but Katherine stayed awake for some time.

Now that her plan was in action, she had to make absolutely sure nothing went wrong. After all this time spent planning, she could not afford to make a mistake. She hadn't been entirely truthful to Elena. She couldn't exactly trust her with such valuable information, especially considering what Katherine intended to do.

No, it wasn't just genetic curiosity that had made her keep Elena locked in that cellar. She had a plan for her, and what a masterfully crafted plan it was.

As she watched the sun rise slowly over the horizon, a wicked grin spread across her face. Oh, yes, this would be a good day indeed.

* * *

Waking up, Elena felt unusually groggy. Of course, that shouldn't be a surprise to her, considering the horrible night she had just had. Still she felt tired, even though the sun was shining and she could hear birds chirping outside.

Sitting up in the bed, she reached over to look at the clock on her bedside table. It was three in the afternoon. Groaning unhappily at the fact she had practically slept all day, she pulled the covers back and began to climb out of the bed.

"Going somewhere?" said a voice from behind her.

She jumped slightly at the sound, and turned around to find Damon stretched out on her bed. She sighed, expecting some kind of biting comment. But none came. In fact, he seemed oddly quiet today. He just lay there, staring up at her with his bright blue eyes, his face wearing an expression she had never seen on him before. She frowned slightly. Maybe she was wrong, but it almost seemed like he was looking at her like he…nah. Come on, it was Damon, right?

Still saying nothing, Damon reached over and patted the bed where Elena had been sleeping only a minute ago. Sighing in defeat, she swung her legs back onto the bed. As she settled down with her head on a pillow, she looked directly into his eyes. She didn't really have anywhere to go, so she could spare a few minutes to talk with him. Still, he better make it quick, then get the hell off her bed.

They both stared in silence for a while, each trying to decipher the other's expression. Eventually Elena broke the silence.

"So?" she said.

"Mmm," Damon murmured, refusing to answer.

"So" she said, "Are you going to say anything?"

She waited in silence for an answer, and when none came she huffed in annoyance. Damon was so predictable. Just as she was about to get up he finally spoke.  
"What exactly happened last night?" he asked.

Elena sighed, wondering where to begin.

"Ok," she began. From there she told him how she had come home last night to find Katherine in her kitchen after having clearly just killed her biological father, John. She told him how Katherine had knocked her out, then given her vampire blood to fix the concussion she had "accidentally" given her.

"Thankfully," she said, "Bonnie rescued me from that damp hole in the ground before the hateful bitch came back."

Damon nodded, commiserating with the "hateful bitch" part. He looked at her with concern clear in his eyes, and then to her surprise, reached a hand out to clasp hers tightly.

"I'm sorry," he said sadly. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this; for my brother and me coming here and bringing our messed up past with us."

"I know," she said simply. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. I'd rather have you here, with all your faults, then never have known either of you. You may be a pain in the ass sometimes, but you're a loyal friend Damon."

He smiled at that, but it was a sweet smile, not his usual smirk that hid his true emotions from the rest of the world. Right now he was being completely open, and Elena decided that this was the Damon she liked best; the one left unscarred by Katherine and unhurt by the harsh world around him.

Just then Elena heard her stomach growl, and laughed softly at the interruption.

"Come on," said Damon, beginning to get up. "I'll make pancakes."

"But it's three in the afternoon. It's hardly time for breakfast food."

"They'll be chocolate chip," he said in a singsong voice, wiggling his eyebrows at her playfully.

"Fine," she said, smiling.

Damon left the bedroom and went downstairs to make pancakes, whistling as he went.

"Take a shower," he called from downstairs. "You look like shit."

"Well that's very kind of you," she yelled back.

Nevertheless, she got up out of bed and stretched. Lately there were all kinds of things screwing with her life, and she was not excited about leaving the house to face them. But she knew that as long as she was here, Damon would make a little sanctuary for her; a place where she could bring all her problems and have someone just listen and not worry endlessly like Stefan would. No, Damon just listened, and right now that was exactly what she needed.

* * *

_The girl hid behind her mother's skirts, little hands clutching at the fabric franticly. The banging at the door continued, the yelling getting more violent by the second. She watched in horror as her mother tried to barricade the door with whatever she could. Slowly chairs, a dresser, and a bench piled up in front of the door; but still the banging persisted._

_Her mother knelt down beside her and clasped her small hands in her larger ones. "Kitty," she said, looking at her daughter intensely. "I need you to hide. Can you do that for me?"_

_The girl nodded, face slack with fear._

_"You know I love you, don't you?" said the mother. "No matter what."_

_"I'm scared Mommy," whispered the girl._

_"I know."_

_Just then there was a sharp crack, and the tip of an axe appeared through the middle of the door. _

_"Go, hurry!" said the mother franticly, opening the door of the wardrobe and ushering her daughter inside. "Stay here, and be very quiet. I'll be back to get you soon."_

_Then she shut the door, leaving the girl in darkness, listening to the sounds of the axe hacking through wood._

_Soon the sounds stopped, and she heard shoving, then heavy footsteps across the wooden floorboards. Something crashed to the floor, and her mother screamed._

_"Please," said the mother. "Please stop! It doesn't have to be this way. I love you. Kitty and I love you. Think of our family. Charles, please!"_

_The girl heard something being swung through the air and landing with a sickening thud, like piercing through flesh. Her mother screamed, begging for her life, but then another whoosh came, another thud. Whoosh, thud; whoosh, thud; and all the while her mother wept and screamed. She screamed and screamed…_

Katherine woke with a start, tangled in sweat-soaked sheets. She lay there feeling feverish and shaky, still reeling from her nightmare. After all this time, after hundreds of years, she still couldn't shake those thoughts from her mind. Not just thoughts, but memories, long ago buried deep in her heart, lost and forgotten. Now they were but shadows of their former selves, the sharp pain dulled to an ache that she rarely felt.

Rolling over she felt the bed next to her, searching for Stefan's warm body. But all she found was a fistful of rumpled sheets and an indent of where a body clearly had been.

"Stefan?" she croaked, voice still full of sleep.

"I'm here," he said, emerging from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Smiling at her, he strode over and sat down on the edge of the bed. He took her hand and squeezed it gently, a reassuring gesture.

"Elena," he said, concern clear on his face. "You're covered in sweat. Did you have a nightmare?"  
_Well, back to business_, she thought. She couldn't let something so small as a nightmare allow her let her guard down. "Yes," she replied, making a show of being exceptionally distraught by mashing her eyebrows together in a frown very much like Stefan's own. "I dreamt that I was still down in that tomb, and Katherine was there. It was horrible," she whined, blinking her eyes like a sad puppy.

"Elena," he murmured, stroking her check tenderly. "You're safe now. You don't need to worry about her."  
Katherine sighed dramatically, playing the part of the troubled human girl perfectly. _This is just too easy_, she thought. She was having _no_ trouble whatsoever posing as Elena. Elena didn't seem very different from the average teenage girl after all; what with her boy trouble, angst issues, and journal writing. Katherine knew her troubles _very_ well, for Katherine herself had been a teenager once. Then again, the two had experienced wildly different upbringings.

"Why don't I need to worry?" she asked. If he had a scheme to rid the town of her malicious presence, then she had to know. She couldn't have him ruining her carefully devised plan now could she?

"Because I'll keep you safe. You're safe here, with me. Which reminds me. I've been thinking that you should stay here for a while, at least until we get the whole Katherine situation under control."

"Okay," she said. Being around Stefan constantly would make it more difficult to enact her plot, never mind the fact that it would wear on her patience immensely. But if Elena were here she would be agreeing with him right now, so Katherine had to be a good little girl and play along.

"So why don't you go over to your house and pack a bag so you can stay here for a few days. You'll be safer that way."

"But what about Jenna and Jeremy?"

"They're still at the hospital. We'll worry about them when Jeremy gets out." Stefan gave her a reassuring smile. "Everything's going to be alright."

After showering and dressing in some of the spare clothes Elena kept at Stefan's, she kissed him goodbye and set off for Elena's home. Well, her home now.

* * *

**A/N: **To all that are squeemish, the violence in this chapter occurs during a nightmare Katherine has of when she was a little girl. She dreams of when her father killed her mother with an axe. If you don't want to read about that, please skip the bit of the chapter that is in italics.

Also a question. What do you think of Katherine's feelings toward her past? Should I continue to develop a slight vulnerability in her regarding her human life or should I scrap that part of the storyline? I'm kind of on the fence about this one. I want to make her a complex character, but at the same time I don't want to lose her cruel nature. What would you like to see in Katherine as a character?


	6. I Love You

**A/N:** I am going on vacation for the next 3 weeks without computer or internet access, so I won't be able to post any new chapters during that time. But hopefully I'll be able to get in some decent writing time and write a few more chapters :) I'm posting this chapter earlier than usuall because I don't want to leave you for 3 weeks without posting anything.

Anyway, this chapter is full of Delena. I finally have found a way to involve a lot of their relationship in the story. So enjoy!

* * *

After her shower, Elena followed her nose into the kitchen to find Damon flipping pancakes.

"Good to see Miss Princess is finally up," he said with a wry smile.

"Oh, Damon," she said, laughing softly. She took a seat at the counter in front of a plate of stacked pancakes she assumed was for her. They smelled delicious and she eagerly dug in, quickly tasting their warm sugary goodness. As she ate, her eyes followed Damon's every movement in front of her, finding it amusing to watch him play the domestic homemaker. He had his back turned to her, and while he didn't know she was staring at him, she might as well take advantage and enjoy the view. Besides, she had to admit, he had a nice ass.

Soon he finished making his own stack of pancakes and sat down next to her, eating in silence. Neither of them felt the need to say anything, both of them just enjoying the company of the other. Though they had some epic fights, at the worst of times they stuck together as loyal friends. The last two days had been a testament to that.

"Some good pancakes," Elena said, breaking the silence. "You know, whenever you cook something, it's always so amazing." She took another bite. "Where did you learn to cook? I mean, you don't even eat people food usually."

"People food?" he asked. "On the contrary, I eat _people_ food all the time."

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I _am_ a good cook aren't I." he said, reveling in his own superiority.

"Damon, you are _so_ full of yourself," she complained, shaking her head.

"Yes but you have to admit, isn't it endearing?"

Elena raised her eyebrows suspiciously.

"Kind of? A little?" he begged. When she shook her head stubbornly he sighed. "Oh come on," he said. "My self-confidence is what makes me so irresistibly sexy."

"Sometimes, but most of the time it just makes you an annoying pain in the ass," she insisted. "And I wouldn't call it 'self-confidence'," she said, making little air quotes with her hands. "I'd say it's more like arrogance and absolute disdain for others."

"You said I'm sexy," Damon declared gleefully, completely ignoring her insults.

Elena's mouth dropped open in protest. "I did not. It was you who said that!"

"But you agreed with me," Damon said, a smug smile now spreading across his face.

"Ugh, you are so predictably arrogant!"

"But you like it. Admit it."

"_You_ just like it when women fawn over you because you're handsome."

"You don't fawn over me," he said, more serious now.

"No, I don't," she said, not joking anymore.

"Why is that?" he asked, truly wondering. "Ever since I was young, since I was _human_, women haven't been able to resist me. You're one of the few that has. Then again, you're also the only one that's liked Stefan more than me," he said, almost as if he was questioning her sanity on the whole Stefan issue.

"Maybe it's because I know what you are," she said softly.

"But that's not it is it," he said, face serious again. "You know what Stefan is too. And I've been changing my ways." He looked at her intensely, searching her face for the answer she seemed to be withholding. She looked back at him, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Is what Isobel said true?" she said suddenly. "Do you love me?"

She was hanging on his next words as if her very life was at stake, and maybe it was, or at least her love life was. Her boyfriend was his brother, and yet here she was, demanding to know if he loved her or not. She didn't really know why it mattered; it shouldn't matter, either way. But somehow, in a way she would probably regret, it did.

Instead of answering her, he kissed her, leaving that as answer enough. Needless to say, she was very surprised, having never expected that in a million years. But she quickly got over her astonishment, and instead of remaining frozen in shock she kissed him back.

The kiss was tender, her soft lips moving against his. Elena closed her eyes and savored the sensation she had so long denied herself. The kiss was almost electric, sending shivers down her spine, making the hairs on her neck stand on end. She couldn't believe that she was kissing the gorgeous man she had secretly dreamed about for a long time now. It just felt so…so…

Wrong. She broke away suddenly, turning her head to the side. "I can't," she breathed. "I have a boyfriend, and I just kissed his _brother_. What kind of slut am I?" she said, more to herself than to him.

"Elena I-"  
"No, stop, I don't want to hear it. It was a mistake, that's all. Let's forget it ever happened." Her cheeks burned red with shame, and she could barely even look at him. Putting her head in her hands, she stared at the countertop and breathed deeply, in and out, in and out.

Now their previously lively conversation turned to an odd and ungainly silence. Both of them shifted uncomfortably in their seats, picking at their pancakes disinterestedly, not knowing what to say to the other. Elena hated feeling like this, hated disrupting the relationship between her and Damon. But what was she supposed to do? She was in a committed relationship with Stefan, and she couldn't just give that up on a whim. This was a very serious matter.

"Look Damon, I'm sorry." She looked up at him, pleading with her eyes.

"No, no, it's fine," he said.

"I have a boyfriend that I love. I love Stefan. You and I…" she trailed off, trying to find the right way to put it.

"We have something between us. But you're right, we're just friends," he said, voice almost nostalgic.

Elena breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad he understood, and just hoped he wouldn't push the subject further.

"Well we should get cleaned up," she said suddenly, getting out of her chair and taking her plate and Damon's.

"No it's alright," he said, "I'll get it."

"But you cooked."

"I'll get it," he said, taking the plates from her and putting them in the sink. "Why don't you go see Stefan? I'm sure he's worried sick," he added, back turned as he washed the plates.

Elena cursed under her breath, chastising herself for being so forgetful. All this time she had been talking about being faithful to Stefan, and she had kept him worrying all night about where she was. She was a terrible girlfriend.

Elena sighed. "Right," she said. "Well, I should go now. You know, to see Stefan."

"Oh, yeah, of course. Don't mind me, I'll just stay here, washing dishes," he said, not really wanting her to go but knowing she had to.

She smiled apologetically, even though his back was turned and he couldn't see. Walking up beside him she tapped him on the shoulder lightly. He turned to see her standing there, her face betraying the fact that she was clearly warring with her own emotions.

"So, um. Bye," she said.

He moved his arms wide to give her a hug just as she moved her hand to shake his. They both laughed awkwardly and pulled away. Then Elena seemed to make up her mind, face resolving itself, and gave him a warm parting embrace. He held her close, burying his head in her hair and inhaling her sweet scent. After what seemed like an age, they broke apart, each smiling sweetly at the other.

"Goodbye then Miss Gilbert," he said.

"Goodbye to you too, Mr. Salvatore. I look foreword to seeing you soon."

"And when will that be?"

"In a little while. I need to go see Stefan and Jeremy first. Then I guess I'll see you at the Salvatore house."

"See you then." He gave her a parting kiss on the cheek, lingering there longer than a mere friend should or would have. As he pulled away she smiled at him, then turned to leave.

"Elena," he called as she opened the door. She turned, waiting for him to speak. "I…good luck."

She nodded, then was gone.

* * *

_Knock, Knock, Knock_, came a sound from the door.

"Ugh, Damon," muttered Stefan, looking up from his book. "Go away Damon!" he shouted in the general direction of the door, knowing perfectly well that he didn't have to shout; Damon would hear him anyway.

The knocking continued, and Stefan tried to ignore it. But whoever it was on the other side of that door was damned persistent. Eventually Stefan got up from his comfortable position on the couch, cursing under his breath. He stalked to the door angrily, spoiling for a fight with his big brother. After their argument early that morning, Stefan had no wish to see Damon for a very long time.

"Now look here," Stefan began, flinging the door open. But he stopped in his tracks when he realized that the person standing in front of him was not, indeed, his brother.

"Elena," he breathed, a slight smile spreading across his face. "I had no idea it was you. I thought it was Damon," he said apologetically.

She just smiled and flung herself at him, wrapping her body around him, very happy to see him. "Stefan," she sighed into his shoulder. "You must have been so worried."

He laughed softly. "Elena, you were gone for only a few minutes."

She pulled away, a worried expression on her face. "No Stefan," she said slowly. "I was gone all night. The last time we talked to each other was right before I got home. Then I got kidnapped by Katherine. Damon told me how you were worrying about me."

"Damon?" Stefan questioned, a frown wrinkling his brow.

"Yeah, he was at my house when I got home. Bonnie rescued me from Katherine and brought me home, and Damon was there."

"That isn't what you told me this morning. You said you came straight here after you escaped."

"Stefan, I haven't been here all day, or seen you for that matter. What's going on? Are you okay? Did you hit your head or something?" He could tell she was panicking now, probably worrying about his sanity, just as he was worrying about hers.

"But I saw you walk _right_ through that door a few minutes ago. How is that possible?" he muttered to himself, head bowed in thought.

_Of course_, he thought. With lightning speed he lashed out and caught Elena's wrist in one of his hands, using his vampire strength to make a small incision on the palm of her hand. She gasped at the sudden rush of pain.

"Stefan," she said in horror. "What did you do that for?"

"You're not healing," he said, staring down at her hand intently.

"Of course not! What did you expect Stefan, I'm not a vampire, I don't heal quickly."

"I know what happened. It was Katherine. It was Katherine the whole time."

"What do you mean it was Katherine?"

"I saw you walk out that door a few minutes ago. Or at least I thought it was you until you told me you hadn't been here all day. But how is that possible? How can you be in two places at the same time? Well, because one of them isn't you it's-"

"Katherine," she said, nodding slowly.

"Yes. Katherine was here all night, pretending to be you. That's why I cut you, to make sure you were the real Elena and not Katherine."

"Where is she now?"

"She left to go to your house to get some things. So we're safe for now…wait a minute. You said Damon was at your house when you got there. Is he still there?"

"Yes," she said, wincing at the implications of Damon staying the night at her house.

Stefan's jaw tightened in response, but otherwise he stayed focused on the problem at hand.

"We have to warn him," he said. "Before it's too late. Who knows what she has planned for him."

* * *

**A/N:** So what do you think about Damon and Elena's relationship? And what _does_ Katherine have planned for Damon (your guess is as good as mine since I haven't decided on that yet)? Please review :)


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